Strategic Energy in Seventh Year of Satisfying National Customer.

Business Editors

PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 27, 2003

For the Third Consecutive Time, Koppers Signs Three-Year Integrated

Energy Management Agreement with Strategic Energy for Facilities

In 10 States

Many states across the country have enacted restructuring legislation to allow retail energy competition, and some are still unaware of the benefits a competitive market can bring to customers. But ask Koppers Inc., and they will tell you retail competition is working really well for them throughout the country.

Strategic Energy, a leading supplier of retail electricity in competitive markets and a leader in managing natural gas procurement for large industry, announced today that Koppers, a global producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products based in Pittsburgh, Pa., signed another three-year energy management agreement with Strategic Energy. This agreement solidifies a nine-year relationship between Koppers and Strategic Energy from 1997 through 2006.

Under this agreement, Strategic Energy will manage Koppers' energy supply in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Illinois on a daily basis and in Texas, Oregon, Louisiana, Colorado, Arkansas and Alabama as needed. Unique to this announcement is what Strategic Energy calls Integrated Energy Management--comprehensive services that complement Strategic's flagship PowerSupply Coordination(SM).

A satisfied Integrated Energy Management customer, Koppers is confident it will continue to maximize savings and realize new opportunities with Strategic's round-the-clock electricity and natural gas management services, including everything from state-specific competitive assessments to personalized procurement and sourcing strategies.

"We at Koppers think of Strategic Energy as our energy staff--a staff that saves us millions of dollars annually. From our initial special projects in 1997 to our current, all-encompassing relationship, we have generated great value through Strategic Energy's Integrated Energy Management services," said Joe Calfe, Vice President Governmental Affairs and Purchasing, Koppers Inc. "We are familiar with Strategic Energy's 20-year track record in national energy management and are confident Strategic is helping us capture opportunities on power and natural gas at all of our facilities nationwide. Strategic Energy's forward vision helped us effectively manage the market the past six years, so we were happy to re-enlist their expertise for several more."

"Pennsylvania businesses know Strategic Energy is here for the long haul, and our national commitment to Koppers proves we are dedicated to all competitive energy markets," said Rick Zomnir, President and CEO of Strategic Energy. "We are proud to serve as the 'energy staff' for diverse Integrated Energy Management customers throughout the country. True, we supply reliable electricity to more than 33,000 customers. But more importantly, our objective is to provide complete services to businesses interested in competitive energy."

About Koppers

Koppers Inc., with corporate headquarters in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a global integrated producer of carbon compounds and treated wood products for use by the utility, construction, railroad, aluminum, chemical and steel industries. Koppers operates 39 facilities in the United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia and South Africa. The company has an indirect ownership interest in KSA Limited Partnership, a concrete crosstie manufacturer in Portsmouth, Ohio. The company's stock is shared by a large number of employee investors and by majority equity owner Saratoga Partners of New York, New York. Koppers' website is www.koppers.com.

About Strategic Energy

Strategic Energy is a leading national competitive electricity supplier as well as a trusted provider of Integrated Energy Management services for large facilities nationwide.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Strategic Energy began as an energy consulting and management company in 1986 and started serving electricity customers as a competitive supplier with Pennsylvania's pilot program in 1997. Since then, its business has grown rapidly with expansions into Ohio, Massachusetts, New York, California, Texas and Michigan. Strategic Energy is majority-owned by Great Plains Energy (NYSE: GXP). Strategic Energy's website is www.sel.com.